Belt Buckles Should Keep A Good Shine
Ever pick up a belt or two from your closet or other storage place, and noticed pitting and rust on the belt buckles and other belt hardware? That's a sign of a belt maker cutting corners, counting on you replacing your belt within a few years.
Bigfoot Gun Belts certainly doesn't mind you purchasing more than one, but wants you to do so for the right reasons. Corrosion is not one of them, which is why we use nickel-plated, corrosion-resistant belt hardware.
The Belt Buckle and Other Hardware Must Hold
There are two primary functions to belt hardware like a belt buckle, snaps and any other parts. It should, firstly and foremostly, hold together and it should look presentable while doing so. That's exactly why we employ the nickel-plated hardware that comes standard on all Bigfoot Gun Belts.
The first thing you'll notice is that our belt hardware is a bit thicker than the hardware on a lot of other belts. By beefing up the hardware, even incrementally, that makes sure that the when the buckle fastens the belt together, it stays that way. The roller buckle easily allows the double-sided English bridle leather belt to easily roll through to fasten.
Likewise, you'll notice the snaps are fairly beefy as well. Naturally, this is to ensure that once the belt leaves the factory with the snaps secured, it stays there until you want it removed. This is also the reason we employ directional snaps. To undo, you have to rotate the top snap until you find the release notch, and then open. Otherwise, it stays closed.
The integrity of belt hardware is normally important, but becomes absolutely vital on a gun belt. Not only must the buckle be adequate to hold the leather gun belt together, but the buckle and snaps have to hold the belt together because it is carrying a gun. If your belt comes undone while carrying, your pants dropping will be the least of your worries. Your carry system must be secure - our hardware ensures that it is.
Belt Hardware Should Look Good And Stay That Way
A good belt should be presentable and should stay that way. There's nothing worse than finding your favorite belt's hardware has started to rust and pit. You could keep it and tell yourself that it's rustic, but you know it's time to either replace the hardware or replace the belt altogether.
Rust occurs when a material such as iron or steel is exposed to air, and especially moisture. At the atomic level, oxygen particles will bond with the iron particles - the process of oxidation - and forms iron oxide, or rust. At first it starts on the surface, but as more particles form, the more of a piece of a material turns into rust.
To prevent it from happening, a piece of iron or steel needs a coating with passivity, or resistance to outside elements. Steel, for instance, can be coated with chromium to make stainless steel, or galvanized with zinc. We coat our hardware with nickel. While it isn't as hard a material as zinc or other materials that are used in this type of application, it's perfect for this use. Not only does it guard against oxidation, it keeps a high shine.
Thus, our hardware will look good and stay that way.
Rust can also lead to a loss in structural integrity. While this isn't an immediate concern with a normal belt, it's cause for worry with a gun belt. The last thing you need is a belt that becomes a liability. Keeping the rust out keeps our gun belts strong, and looking good for years to come.
We Build Belts To Last
Bigfoot Gun Belts are designed to hold more than the normal belt can, with ease. Once fastened, they stay in place and don't allow your gun or pants to sag at all. We also make these belts so they'll look great once in place.
Our belts are the ultimate blend of form and function. A gun belt has to do it's job first and foremost; looking good is just a bonus. However, we think you don't have to choose between the latter and the former, which is why we make our belts the way we do.
Anything less would not be legendary.